Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-10-13

move somewhere. / must make N.Y.
self purpose purpose TO keep my
self alive at least-till daylight came.
began walking; it did not matter
in what direction. If only nv
strength held out till morning
strength to keep off that horrible
drowsiness. stumbled heavily along.
l was thinking about Molly and her
baby; il all seemed like duh dream.
And then the bells began TO ring,
deep and soft and far off. stopped
in my tracks to listen. 1t was the
sound of bells, certain, full and sweet;
and turned and went blindly on, fol-
lowing the sound as q hound might
follow a scent.
All at once saw a light. 1t wasn't
a star; there were no stars. And no
body lived on the big range, unless
some camper was travelling about, and
campers don't travel in the teeth of
norther. And this light swung aud
wavered, went out entirely for a see
ond or two, and then burned up again.
And near or far l could not tell, only
it was a light and it moved, and fol-
lowed it. And | could hear the bells
all the time.
Then all at once another one Of
Molly's Bible verses flashed into my
head; something about a 'star in the
East that went before them till il came
and stood over the place where the
young child lay
Well, / wasn't a. wise man or I
shouldn't have got in such a fix.
don't think I'm an irrcyerent kind of
a fellow, either; man couldn't live
with Molly many years and be that.
Only | was looking for a young child,
too, and babies--littleo nes-always did
seem To me near enough to heaven 10
make the story reasonable enough.
Anyway, there it was, meant for me or
not, and followed it.
More than once fell, but l always
got up and went on. was talking TO
myself part of the time, hearing my
own voice and thinking it was some
one else's. | lost my sense of time
again, but | kept on doggedly; and
then, suddenly, the light flashed
brighter, whirled about in wild sort
of way, and went out entirely.
gave q shout and ran forward. /
thought should die il lost it. And
there | was standing on wide trail,
with a sort of square, dark shape
standing up in front in the dimness be-
fore me, with light and voices coming
out of the chnks, and somehow, there
was the door, and my hand on the
latch, and in another second oh! it
was olly-Molly with lamp in her
hand, bending over feeding-box
made into cradle, with n great arm
full of hay and white sheepskin for
cover, and Madsons wife kneeling on
one side, and Claytons wife on the
other and beyond, with light flashing
in their great, wondering, shining
eyes, pair of astonished horses. And
then there came piping cry from the
feeding-boX, and | knew | had found
the baby.
Burned outP Yes sir. That was
the last thing; but they had been
warned before the fire came down on
them. Jim Clayton had taken the
women and struck for the big road,
and they took the first shelter they
came to-a stable that had been built
in the days when all the California
supplies went overland by mule-train.
When the wind fell he took the lantern
and tried TO find a cabin that used TO
stand somewhere near, and had been
following him for half an hour.
0, yes, I'm we'll fixed now; 5000
head of cattle out on the Gunnison.
And Molly spends her summers back
home, and she and the babies brin.
back enough Group and catarrh and
bronchitis and sore throat to last them
half the next winter Christine q.
Brooks ia Ne1o York In dependent.